A former Baltimore Ravens star who won a Super Bowl with John Harbaugh isn’t sure he will have the same success if he becomes the next head coach of the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, or Miami Dolphins.
With the NFL regular season in the rear view and the playoffs underway, the league is also in head coach hiring and firing season, and there has been some major turnover. On Tuesday, Mike Tomlin’s time as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers ended after 19 seasons. However, the news comes a week after the Ravens dismissed Harbaugh after 18 memorable seasons.
It adds two huge coaching candidates into the market, and the long-time Baltimore coach is drawing a ton of interest from around the league. Since his firing, notable franchises like the Giants, Falcons, Dolphins, and Raiders have been linked to the unemployed coach who has a Super Bowl win on his resume. The high level of interest is sure to create a bidding war for his services.
John Harbaugh record: 180-113
However, former Ravens Pro Bowler Bernard Pollard doesn’t seem to think that the huge demand for Harbaugh’s abilities is warranted. In a conversation with Poker Scout, the player who helped the coach get his Super Bowl win in 2012 seemed to suggest the 63-year-old’s success in the NFL is overblown.
“What does Harbaugh bring to the table? Is he an offensive guy? Are we a levels team, a run-and-gun team, spread? If he doesn’t bring anything offensively to the table, well, what do you bring defensively?” Pollard said.
“He doesn’t bring anything defensively. He can be a disciplinarian. He can crack down on guys getting in trouble, but does that help us on the football field?” he added.
Harbaugh was hired by the Ravens in 2008, with his previous NFL coaching experience being as a special teams and defensive backs coach.
Bernard Pollard Explains Why He Believes John Harbaugh is Overrated
So if Harbaugh isn’t an elite Xs and Os coach, why did he lead Baltimore to a championship and 12 playoff appearances in his 18 seasons? The nine-year NFL veteran seems to think the Ravens’ organizational infrastructure was a huge help. It’s also why he is unsure John Harbaugh will have equal success with his next team.
“That’s going to be the hardest thing when people are looking to hire. Not every management and not every ownership is like Baltimore,” Pollard told the outlet. “They are top-tier. So those are my concerns with coach Harbaugh. You have to think hard and long, because, respectfully, what does he bring to the table?”
“You hope he can replicate that success, but I think it’s going to be hard, because Baltimore’s ownership and management have done a phenomenal job,” he added. “Not everybody can do the same. That is a top-class organization.”
